Darkest Time
by Conrad Roberts
Summary: What if the Planet just got worse after Sephiroth's death?


DARKEST TIME  
BY CONRAD ROBERTS  
  
Prologue  
"You know, you have taken her death lightly." Sephiroth said.  
"Hmm, thought you'd be gone now. You can still speak, from wherever you are?" Cloud asked the voice that trailed in his mind.  
"Oh yes. But it takes a lot of strength. Like the strength it took for you to ungratefully murder me!" He shouted.  
Ten years. I murdered him ten years ago.  
"What the . . . I didn't murder you!" Cloud yelled in his mind.  
"Wake up!"  
Cloud arose in his bed. Costa de Sol, the world's last stronghold.  
Stronghold wasn't the right word, it was just a . . . hold.  
Dark times had fallen upon the Planet. Heidegger was now president of Shinra. Since Midgar was heavily damaged by Meteor the capital had been moved to Junon. Sadly, Reeve, who Cloud thought had changed, was now the vice president.  
The money, it was probably for the money. Cloud thought.  
Palmer, Scarlet, Rufus, and even the Turks died in Meteor's onslaught. Cloud looked at the wall, he had kept the newspaper that announced their deaths.  
Next to the newspaper he saw the pictures, pictures of each one of the former group mates. He'd arranged them into three rows. The top: allies, the middle: traitors, and the bottom: dead. There were three on top, two in the middle, and three on the bottom.  
Yuffie, Cid, and Nanaki, the only ones left. He'd thought of putting Yuffie's picture on the bottom row. Wutai was now next in line for the Shinra capital. If something happened to Junon, Wutai would then be home of Shinra Inc. He hadn't seen or heard from Yuffie in four years. And that was when . . .  
Cid now was living in space aboard Highwind Station, studying life on other worlds.  
Nanaki, or Red XIII, was now searching the world for material on the Cetra. Cloud saw him once last year. He wondered how he survived moving around. In this time you stayed put, and moved when attacked.  
In the second row, Reeve, or Cait Sith the robotic doll, was now Shinra's vice president. The other person Cloud would have never suspected . . .  
Then on the bottom row was Aeris Gainsborough, his love. In these ten years he'd assured himself of that. But, all that's well is lost. She had died; he had lost her, end of story.  
You know, you have taken her death lightly.  
"Yes Sephiroth, I did. I had to. Otherwise I'd be a weeping miser," he said to Sephiroth in the beyond.  
The next picture: Tifa Lockheart. Tifa lost her life four years ago, at the war's peak. Along with her was Barret Wallace, who died trying to save her.  
With anger Cloud looked at Vincent Valentine. The person Cloud would suspect least to become a traitor. Cloud remembered the event, right after Sephiroth's defeat . . .  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1-The Traitor (10 YEARS AGO)  
The Highwind flew through the night sky swiftly. Aboard it the group sat silently.  
"I guess this is it. It's actually over. Heh, never thought it would actually end." Barret said.  
"I'm glad! Now I can get back to testing my real skills! This was nothing, I mean . . ."  
"Someone shove a pipe down her throat." Barret interjected.  
"I'll miss the action, but really, I won't. You know what I mean? Sure, I'll say to myself that I want to be out there fighting. But truly I'll be thinking 'Thank god I'm living in peace!'" Tifa said.  
"Peace and tranquility is what the Planet needs. Time to heal. That is what I need." Nanaki said.  
"I can start my new project, Highwind Station, the first life-supporting space station!" Cid said with excitement.  
"I can finally leave Shinra! Get out of that scum hole!" Cait Sith exclaimed.  
  
Damn liar. Cloud thought.  
  
"I don't know what I'll do. I just want time to relax." Cloud said.  
Vincent just sat quietly. "Lucrecia is dead."  
  
Lucrecia is dead.  
Lucrecia is dead.  
Lucrecia is dead.  
Lucrecia is dead. The words rang in Cloud's head.  
  
Vincent stood up and walked out.  
"What's his problem, how the hell does he know that?" Barret asked.  
"Vincent knows a lot. I think he can sense her death." Nanaki said.  
"How'd I get caught up with such whacks?" Barret asked himself out loud. Cloud stood up and went into the operations room with Vincent.  
"Vincent, if Lucrecia's dead . . ."  
"She is, there's no doubt about it." Vincent said with is back to Cloud.  
"How do you . . ."  
"If you hadn't witnessed Aeris' death would you have known? Oh wait, you were almost the very damn person that caused it. You were about to take your goddamned sword and slice her in two. You better thank the devil I was there to stop you!" Vincent raged.  
"Vincent, no one can sense death. I don't think Aeris could even sense death." Cloud said.  
"You lie. Our own Nanaki has sensed death." Vincent retorted.  
"Hey your right. But is he human?" Cloud asked.  
"You aren't." Vincent replied.  
"What?"  
"You, Cloud Strife, well actually I should call you Sephiroth. You Sephiroth are the clone of the original Sephiroth! You are the world's evilest person!" Vincent screamed.  
"Your going crazy. If Lucrecia is dead this is no way to act." Cloud said.  
"You acted like nothing when Aeris died. You took the body, threw it in the pond, end of story. There is someone who can bring Lucrecia back Sephiroth! Cait Sith!" Vincent screamed.  
The bouncing robot came in on the double. Vincent whipped out his Quicksilver.  
"Lucrecia's Order will crush you!" Vincent screamed. He shot one bullet at Cloud, nailing him in the shoulder. Vincent shot the lock off of the emergency hatch and grabbed the only parachute left since the operation at Midgar.  
"Sorry Cait, not your lucky day!" Vincent yelled and delivered one shot the Cait Sith's head causing sparks to fly everywhere. Vincent jumped through the small hole in the floor and parachuted to safety.  
Clutching his shoulder, Cloud opened the thick steel door of the operations room. He dragged himself back into the control room.  
"What the . . ." Tifa started.  
"Vincent . . . ahhhh!" Cloud started but couldn't finish due to the intense pain.  
"Get the first aid kit!" Cid yelled. The room went black.  
  
Cloud eventually wound up in a hospital in Wutai. Yuffie, Cloud, Barret, and Tifa stayed there for a long time, until Lucrecia's Order came.  
  
(2 YEARS AFTER SEPHIROTH'S DEFEAT-8 YEARS AGO)  
Cloud watched his tea ripple. Then the small house started to shake. Cloud ran outside to see Barret.  
"Barret what is . . ."  
"C'mon, were goin' to the top of Da-chao to see!"  
When Cloud reached Da-choa's summit he felt like dying.  
When Vincent would get mad he'd become a beast, a Galian Beast, Cloud remembered.  
Headed towards Wutai was at the very least, five hundred Galian Beasts. In front of the beasts' pack were Heidegger, Reeve, and Vincent.  
"Two idiots and a moron." Barret said.  
"I suggest we leave." Cloud said with his head down.  
"What else would we do?" Tifa asked.  
"Fight 'em! Bang! Pow! Just like old times!" Yuffie exclaimed.  
"Goddamn, where's that pipe?" Barret asked rhetorically.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 2-On The Run  
  
Cloud still had that picture in his head, the mighty Galians, marching towards Wutai. The city was practically unearthed. The faces on Da-chao were shaved away. Shinra had discovered fusion. And Cloud was sort of glad. At least they weren't sucking Mako up. . .  
  
"C'mon, the buggy is out there!" Barret shouted. The four warriors raced down the mountain and reached their buggy, their prize for winning a Chocobo race. Barret got behind the controls and started to drive. "We'll get to Cosmo Canyon, Nanaki can probably give us an idea on what the hell is goin' out there."  
Cloud turned to look at the Galians marching towards Wutai. Somehow, he knew it'd be his last time seeing the city.  
Lucrecia is dead.  
Cloud shook off the memory of those words. Perhaps humans could sense death. Cloud seemed to sense the death of Wutai.  
I'm sensing the future. And it's obvious that Wutai is doomed. He told himself. Humans can't sense death. He told himself again.  
They reached their submarine. Using narrow rivers they reached Cosmo Canyon without getting anywhere near Junon, the likely source of the Galians. They trotted up the rock stairs into Bugenhagen's residence.  
"Looks like some old friends are here!" The guard said with glee.  
"We need to see Nanaki," Cloud said, "any idea on where he is?"  
"Your very lucky. Tomorrow he's returning from a venture he set out on months ago!" He exclaimed.  
The four rested well, except for Yuffie.  
"Cloud," she whispered in the dark, "wake up please. Cloud?"  
"What? What? Oh, Yuffie. What's up?" Cloud asked quietly.  
Yuffie stared at the eternal fire they were resting by. "My father is dead."  
"Yuffie, he could of made it out of Wutai." Cloud responded.  
"No, I just had a horrible dream. He was being . . . oh I just-"  
"Yuffie, it's okay." Cloud said, trying to comfort the child.  
"Vincent! That madman killed my father! He was there! Beating him and stabbing him!" Yuffie was now crying uncontrollably.  
Vincent, no one can sense death.  
Somehow, that whole conversation was going back on him now.  
  
Nanaki arrived the next morning. Cloud could see he was petrified by the news.  
"The new fusion power of Shinra is enabling them to produce new clones at rapid rates. Vincent must of became a Galian once again and let scientists extract his DNA. Shinra can make an unlimited amount of Galians, with Vincent as their master." Nanaki explained.  
"What can we do?" Tifa asked.  
"Die." Nanaki answered.  
  
That was the darkest day of Cloud's life. He looked out of his house to see Costa de Sol. It was a mess of twisted metal. The beach water was black with pollution. He thought he saw a Galian run into an alleyway. That was normal though; there were always a few lurking around. By now though most had became somewhat tired or even passive. Ten years could do a lot to a beast, ten hard years of destruction. He looked around his house to see what the attack of yesterday had done. One wall was knocked down. He'd been practically spared. Cloud didn't really have any walls on his house. He had half of one in his bedroom. He did have half a roof, though. But his living room, where he sat now, was roofless. The most expensive house Cloud knew of had ten walls and most of the room. He remembered the roof was gone in the bathroom.  
Cloud looked at his bathroom, a toilet sitting out in the open. No sink, and no bath. He had a large metal bucket there with a hose running from Shinra River, one of the only clean water sources in the world. Nowadays, Midgar Slums seemed like paradise.  
Many had moved there. Though it was infested with creatures at least you didn't have to worry about Galian attacks. Cloud would go there, except the Overworld was now filled with Galians, too dangerous of a place.  
What the hell am I saying? I'm going to rot staying here.  
He grabbed the Buster Sword.  
"To Midgar."  
Sure you want to go there? Sephiroth asked.  
"Yeah. Better than this place." Cloud answered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 3-The Plans (7 YEARS AGO)  
  
About two and a half years passed. The remaining members of the group parted ways and hid from Lucrecia's Order. Cloud hid in Costa de Sol, Barret went back to North Corel, but had to leave two months later when the Galians attacked. He ended up in Rocket Town. Tifa lived with Nanaki at Cosmo Canyon. Cid was up in space. No one heard from Yuffie.  
Cloud had helped outfit Costa de Sol with the latest in defense. Costa de Sol was now home to a large cannon half the size of Junon's. Costa de Sol was named capital of the new nation known as AVALANCHE Nation. Costa de Sol was named capital and Barret was named president. But he resigned and handed over to someone he knew from somewhere at sometime . . .  
Cloud became one of the many who defended Costa de Sol from Lucrecia's Order.  
Why is it Lucrecia's Order? They're spawn of that scum Vincent. Cloud thought as he laid the final brick in the Wall of de Sol. The wall was thick enough to withstand two blasts of the Junon cannon, more than enough to keep the Galians out.  
"Cloud, meeting at seven with President Locke!" Vance, who was a fellow warrior, called.  
"Thanks, Vance." Cloud said and dusted off his hands. He took a few steps back to look at the pale white wall.  
  
Seven. Meeting.  
"Be seated warriors. Tomorrow you deliver the blow. We're attacking Junon. Full force. You'll have till eight A.M. tomorrow to say you regards and goodbyes." Locke said.  
Questions started to bounce off the walls. Cloud removed himself from the town hall. He went back to the beach house that was once President Shinra's. Now it belonged to him.  
Cloud picked up the phone and dialed Barret. "We have plans."  
  
That was the day, Cloud said to himself, the day of the truth.  
  
Cloud, Tifa, and Barret were lying behind a small wall.  
"There's the main building. Vincent and Reeve are probably hangin' out there." Barret said.  
"There'll be a lot of soldiers in there. We have to move stealthily." Cloud said.  
"That's why Nanaki chose not to come." Tifa said.  
"In two minuets we move." Barret said.  
"When is AVALANCHE Nation starting their attack?" Tifa asked.  
"In three minuets." Cloud said, and smiled.  
  
Should've been four. Cloud thought.  
  
The three dropped in through a vent.  
"Awright we've gotta move and fast! When the alarms start to sound lasers will block the vent openings. Lets move!" Barret explained.  
The small group made it to the vent opening. And the alarm sounded.  
"DAMNIT!" Barret screamed.  
"We're trapped." Cloud said.  
"No shit Sherlock!" Barret yelled. "How the hell we getting' outta this one?"  
"We don't?" Tifa asked, turing around. Cloud turned also and saw two soldiers in their blue uniforms headed towards them. Barret ended their lives by blasting them with his Gatling Gun Arm.  
"Barret, the vent opening!" Cloud ordered. Barret shot the grate and it fell. The lasers remained.  
"The lasers are still there, genius! They'll cut you to bits!" Barret shouted. Cloud ripped a small mirror off of his belt buckle.  
"Tifa, do you . . ."  
Before he could finish Tifa had her compact in his hand. "When I say now jump down there. Then find away to disable the alarm." Cloud said. He took the two mirrors and started to see what he could do with the two lasers before him. He eventually got them in an ideal position. "Tifa, now." Cloud said. Tifa jumped down and landed in a hallway in which soldiers were running down. They paid no attention to Tifa.  
"Hope she can do something." Barret said. He then blasted two more soldiers coming through the vent.  
  
Ten minuets later Cloud saw the lasers disappear. And the lights go out. Tifa ran up to greet them.  
"What'd you do?" Cloud asked.  
"Cut the power. C'mon!" She ordered. Cloud jumped down. Barret shot away some of the vent shaft and came down hard.   
The auxiliary power cut on. Barret watched the two laser beams that ran the entire length of the vent come on. The alarm no longer sounded. "Got outta there just in time."  
"Think Vincent and Reeve are still in here?" Cloud asked.  
"Yeah. I thought I saw Reeve. But he had plenty of soldiers guarding him." Tifa replied. "The head honchos are on floor thirty."  
"C'mon!" Barret yelled, already running to the elevator.  
  
Four Galians rushed up to Cloud as he passed what was once Cosmo Canyon. All that remained was Bugenhagen's telescope. He had some Umaro, the food that seemed to be a Galian favorite.  
And it was their weakness. He threw some Umaro and three of them ran for it. One stayed. The one rushed at him. Cloud drew his Buster Sword and impaled the Galian just as he was about to rip into Cloud's face. He threw the unfortunate Galian to the others for them to devour. This was about the spot. Cloud made a special whistle and Goldie, his Gold Chocobo, ran towards him. Cloud jumped on Goldie and rode towards Midgar.  
Almost.  
A Galian knocked him off the Chocobo. It was one of the remaining three. Cloud delivered him a chop through the abdomen. Another one dashed towards him. Cloud stabbed him, but in his dying breath he knocked the Buster Sword out of Cloud's hand. It landed at least twenty meters away. The last Galian raced towards Cloud. Cloud cringed as he prepared to have the flesh of his face torn off. The teeth were there, about to clamp his face . . .  
The Galian dropped. Nanaki stood where it once did.  
"Good to see you again." Nanaki said.  
  
Ding! "You've arrived at floor thirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."  
"Shut up!" Barret screamed at the elevator's voice as he blasted the intercom.  
"I told you they'd come here." Vincent said.  
"Did I say I doubted you?" Reeve asked.  
"Well if it isn't the two people I hate the most. Lets get down to business." Barret said and aimed his Gatling Gun Arm at Vincent.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4-The Business  
  
"Wouldn't try that." Vincent said, whipping out his Quicksilver and shooting the Gatling Gun Arm. Barret tried to shoot it, he got a click in return.  
"You bastard!" Barret shouted. Before they knew it Vincent had another shot off, and this one sent Cloud's Buster Sword flying out of his hands. He shot again. Tifa saw her glove unravel and fall to the floor.  
"What did you all come here to ask me?" Vincent asked.  
"What the hell you're doing out there?! You ravaged Wutai, North Corel, and a slew of other towns!" Barret ranted.  
"Heh heh heh. It's all part of mine and Lucrecia's plan." Vincent replied.  
"Thought she was dead." Cloud said. Vincent's eyes locked with Cloud's. The red ones with the Mako filled blue ones. The faithful conversation had been conjured up again. Cloud thought they locked eyes for at least a year, but it was only for a minuet.  
"I'm carrying on her legacy." Vincent said.  
"How'd she die?" Tifa asked.  
Vincent slowly turned around. "Sephiroth killed her."  
"He's dead! You helped us kill him." Barret said.  
"Mr. Wallace, he lives on in your partner." Vincent said.  
"What? Cloud! No way. He may be his clone but like Hojo said, he's . . ."  
"I'm different." Cloud said, finishing for Tifa. "I'm a failed experiment. I'm a clone gone wrong." Cloud grabbed his Buster Sword, ready for attack.  
"None of you see it." Vincent said.   
Before they could react the small group found themselves falling down a shaft. Vincent had opened a trap door on them. They landed in a dumpster at the Junon Airport. The AVALANCHE Nation airship was taking off.  
"C'mon," shout Vicks, a fellow AVALANCHE Nation warrior, "we're getting outta here!"  
Cloud, Tifa, and Barret jumped on a rope that Vicks lowered.  
We'll be back. I swear. Cloud said to Vincent in his mind. He knew it. Cloud wasn't finished with that traitor.  
  
"What are you doing out here Cloud? You know it's too dangerous." Nanaki said.  
"I've had it with life in Costa de Sol. The attacks get more numerous each month. I'm headed to Midgar, the city of peace." Cloud replied.  
"The attacks will start there too." Nanaki said.  
"Not for awhile." Cloud said. "Any news?"  
"I was going to Costa de Sol to tell you." The creature once known as Red XIII responded. "We're it."  
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked.  
"When I saw you last year you said Yuffie was probably dead. I can confirm that."  
Cloud wanted to feel bad, but he really didn't. He'd had such a thin relationship with her. It was like reading about a death in a newspaper.  
"Cid's space station was destroyed by Shinra." Nanaki said.  
"I see." Cloud said, turning his back. "We're it. The only ones left."  
"Some escape pods made it out. There is still a chance he survived." Nanaki said with some hope.  
"But he'll never survive in this new Overworld." Cloud said, now with his head down.  
"He could of crashed in a town."  
Cloud grimaced. "Unlikely. And you know Cid. He'd be only to say 'The Captain goes down with the ship.'"  
Nanaki smiled. "That'd be like Cid."  
"You want to come with me?" Cloud asked.  
"I can survive in this Overworld. You can just barely. You'll need my help." Nanaki said with solace.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 5-The Return (FOUR YEARS AGO)  
  
We'll be back. I swear. Cloud remembered those words he kept to himself. He swore correctly.  
This time there was an addition to the group. Cid Highwind had returned to the ground for supplies and to see old faces. Cloud was surprised when he went to Rocket Town. He was going to get Barret but saw Cid there.  
Cid jumped at the opportunity.   
The group flew in the Highwind. They set it down outside of Junon.  
"I would've never thought that damn red-eyed freak would've turned out to be this world's biggest evil." Cid said.  
"Yeah. We all were surprised." Cloud said, looking at his watch. They were running the same entrance as last time, through the vents.  
"We go in three, two, one, now!" Cloud said. The group ran to a wall and hid by a doorway.  
Cloud looked at the watch again. "The guards change shifts in . . . three, two, one, go!" Cloud opened the door. The group ran in and up the stairs. The guard that was normally on the stairs was beside them and headed away while a new guard was on his way towards them. The group was up the stairs and out of site before the switch was complete. They found themselves pressed against a wall again.  
"Barret, pull the vent access ladder down in . . . three, two, one, now!"  
"Time for lunch." The guard said, and walked away as Barret pulled the ladder down. The group climbed up.  
"Cloud, aren't there any security cameras here?" Barret asked.  
"Lieutenant Sabin on the Highwind disabled them from his computer." Cloud replied.  
"It's his specialty." Cid put in.  
"Now, we all need to reach that vent turn within four seconds when I say go . . . go!" The group crawled towards the turn in the vent. A guard saw the ladder down and walked towards it. There was an opening in the vent but just as he passed it the group crawled by. The group made the turn just in time. The guard went up the ladder a little ways.  
"Hello?" He asked no one and slid the ladder back up.  
  
The group was now riding the elevator to the thirtieth floor. The doors opened. This time Vincent and Reeve didn't greet them. Instead Cloud saw them in a room with tanks holding Galian Beasts. The group busted in. Barret had his Gatling Gun Arm ready this time. Cid had his Spear out, ready to impale Reeve.  
"I see we've returned Sephiroth." Vincent said.  
"Cloud is my name."  
"If that's what you wish Sephiroth, so be it. I'll call you Cloud." Vincent replied.  
"Don't you go anywhere, Reeve!" Cid screamed at Reeve who was reaching for something. The Spear poked Reeve in the back.  
"And doncha do any of your fancy gun tricks," Barret said to Vincent, "I got my baby trained on ya."  
Cloud unsheathed the Buster Sword. "We want you to stop now, Vincent. This destruction of the planet is useless."  
"This is Lucrecia's planet, my love's planet. I want it to be hers. All these other people, they are in our way."  
"Who's this 'our'?" Tifa asked.  
"Me, and Lucrecia." Vincent replied.  
"What about Shinra? Why are you working with them?" Cid asked.  
"I need their technical equipment. Once the world has been ridded of civilians I will destroy Shinra also." Vincent said.  
"What?!" Reeve exclaimed. Reeve reached for the phone. "President, General Valentine has . . ." Vincent pointed his Quicksilver at Reeve's head. "He's been attacked by AVANLANCHE Nation. Where? Here, floor thirty. Come quick!"  
"Good," Vincent said. "You mention none of this. Or die."  
"Yes General. But soon soldiers will be here to stop these AVANLANCHE Nation scums."  
"You assholes! Both of you, once loyal to us!" Barret yelled.  
"Once a spy, always a spy." Reeve repeated.  
"Gya, ha, ha!" Heidegger laughed. The group turned to see him outside the glass room. He pulled a switch that made the room split in two. The group's side was sliding away. Barret started to blast at Heidegger, only to hit his guards. The small strip of metal separated from the main building. Before the group knew it, they were outside and over shark infested waters.  
"Hey, we're turning!" Tifa exclaimed. But it was a turn for the worst. They were in front of the Junon cannon.  
"Run to the edges!" Cloud yelled!  
Cloud and Cid ran one-way, Tifa and Barret the other. The cannon let out a shot. It shook the catwalk. Cloud saw Tifa fall but Barret caught her. The cannon shot again. It had built up enough energy to shoot twice, maybe even three times. Shinra and their new fusion, the possibilities were endless. The second shot sent Barret over the edge. He grabbed the edge of the catwalk and hung on for dear life. Cloud ran to him. Cloud reached out hid hand but was too late. Barret's grip slipped. He plummeted to more than thirty stories below. Barret and Tifa landed in the shark filled waters below. If the impact didn't kill them, the fish would. Cloud saw red start the fill the small area where they fell.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6-Midgar Sighted  
  
"There it is." Cloud said. "The city I never wanted to see again."  
"Good luck, Cloud." Nanaki said.  
"So where are you headed?" Cloud asked.  
"Junon," Nanaki answered, "I'm going to rid the world of Shinra Inc."  
"Good luck, you won't get very far." Cloud said.  
"There is a reason I came to Midgar with you. I'm here to buy explosives." Nanaki said.  
"I want to be there. I want to watch Vincent burn." Cloud said.  
"Strange. All these events . . ."  
"What?" Cloud asked.  
"Everything of importance from the last few years, it always happened on the anniversary of Sephiroth's death. Even . . ."  
"C'mon Nanaki. I want to know. I need to know. Please." Cloud begged.  
"Alright." Nanaki said.  
  
  
(1 YEAR AGO)  
Nanaki was the last of his kind. And he couldn't keep it that way.  
He was at Junon, the home of Shinra Inc.  
No sneaking, that was the first rule. He ran in through the main entrance. A receptionist stared at him and began to speak. He reared his towards her. He thought he heard her scream as he ran towards the elevator.  
Ding! "You've reached floor thirty." A voice said, different from the one Cloud had described. As usual Vincent was in his lab, Reeve at his side.  
"We've increased Jenova cells by ten percent and the Galians . . ." Reeve trailed on as Nanaki listened closely.  
Damn it! Those Galians couldn't live for more than . . .  
Nanaki jumped though the glass that served as the lab's walls.  
"You!" Reeve shouted.  
"Don't pull any tricks. I know what happened last time my friends were here." Nanaki said.  
"Heh. You get it now don't you? Goddamn you Red XIII, always so fucking smart. You know why this is Lucrecia's Order, don't you. You understand. God fucking damn." Vincent said.  
"Jenova cells in the Galians will only let them live for forty-eight hours. They'll be ten times the aggressive beasts they already are. They'll be like rabid dogs, Valentine!" Nanaki shouted at the traitor.  
"But more destructive, Red. Perfect for me and Lucrecia to live perfectly in this world together." Vincent said.  
"Thought she was dead." Nanaki said.  
"Heh. Thought you of all would deduce that. Maybe you aren't so smart." Vincent said. "Why am I ridding the world of all people?"  
"I honestly don't know Vincent. We don't have books on everything at Cosmo Canyon." Nanaki replied.  
"When there is no life at all on the Planet it does something." Vincent said.  
"But Vincent, other organisms, like me. You aren't killing them. And Vincent, even if you leave the smallest, single-celled amoeba alive, another evolution will take place." Nanaki said.  
"What fuels the lifestream?" Vincent asked.  
"Mako." Nanaki replied.  
"Each human has some Mako in them. Not much, but some. Not even the Mako reactors of Midgar can get the Mako out of someone's soul. When a person dies that Mako goes into the lifestream, making a plant grow. Then when the plant dies its Mako makes life possible for another human. With all humans gone there'll be an abundance of Mako that the lifestream can't use. The world will be covered in green. I will be the last surviving human. I have made something already that will destroy the Planet's green easily and quickly. Then the lifestream will have more Mako than it can contain. And then boom! Just like Midell. Only this time it'll be the entire Planet. And I will die, and join Lucrecia in spirit form. The lifestream will then thank me gracefully for freeing it from its terrible confine. Lucrecia and I will rule the new land of Lifestream as king and queen. Finally, peace." Vincent explained.  
"You are crazy, aren't you Vincent. What about space? The lifestream will be sucked into its vacuum." Nanaki said.  
"Heh heh heh. No Nanaki. The universe is expanding. The lifestream will become the universe. Always expanding." Vincent said.  
"I won't let you!" Nanaki rushed at Vincent and bit down hard on his face. He spun around and bit down hard on Reeve's leg. He heard Reeve scream.  
Nanaki pressed a button on a console. The tank holding a Galian in an icky liquid opened. The Galian laid now, sprawled out on the floor. Vincent tried to get up but Nanaki swiped him clean across his bloody face. Vincent went out cold. Reeve limped towards the phone to call security. Nanaki lunged at him, pushing him out the window. Nanaki watched his fall. He didn't land dead on in the shark filled ocean. Instead his head hit a dock, severing it from his body that became fish food.  
Nanaki darted over to the electronic controls. He ripped out wires and practically destroyed the Shinra technology. He saw filing cabinets that contained tons of research documents.  
He let them join the latter part of Reeve.  
He thought about killing Valentine. But he'd leave him. Nanaki had ruined everything.  
Nanaki grabbed a syringe and sampled his own blood. He needed it for later.  
Vincent's dream was over. He saw a vent grate, he'd leave now.  
  
"But the attacks have continued Nanaki. And in greater numbers." Cloud explained.  
"There was a secondary lab. All files were backed up. From what you told me Reeve was the only one who knew of Vincent's plans against Shinra. He's glad Reeve's gone." Nanaki said.  
"You went there one day after visiting me." Cloud said. "And like you said. Everything important happens on the anniversary of his death." Cloud said.  
"Tomorrow's that day." Nanaki said. "And we're attacking Junon tomorrow."  
"A couple days ago, two I think, he contacted me." Cloud said.  
"The lifestream won't accept him. He's not . . . normal. He's a creation. To the lifestream, he's wrong. He roams the Planet as an on looking shadow. And he can't do anything to what he sees. Don't worry about it Cloud. He's just giving you a ten year anniversary present." Nanaki said.  
"That is my fate." Cloud responded.  
"And Vincent's." Nanaki said.  
"But wait, he said that he would . . ."  
"He doesn't know of that truth. I only know of it because of a book I read in Cosmo Canyon. It was a very old book. I'm sure the Galians destroyed it." Nanaki said. "Now Cloud, go get materia, and a better weapon. I'll await you at the exit of Midgar."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 7-The Awful Truth  
  
Cloud looked at Shinra-Junon, the Planet's tallest building. Instead of being round like Shinra-Midgar was, Shinra-Junon was rectangular and tall. It had one hundred and thirty stories against Cloud.  
"We enter through the front. We place one of our Midgar Charges there. And then we'll place one on each floor. But, we are putting ten on floors thirty and thirty-one. That's where Lucrecia's Order is being kept. And I have something of my own to take care of before we leave." Nanaki said.  
  
Vincent was gone from his lab. Nanaki took his blood sample. He activated a computer. Luckily it was voice controlled. Nanaki altered his DNA. He changed it into what a female of his species would be. Now, time to run the machine . . .  
  
All charges set. They had split the floors in half between them, which made it a lot quicker. Cloud joined Nanaki in the elevator on floor sixty-five. As the door closed Cloud gave a sigh of relief.  
"Looks like it ends, again." Cloud said.  
"Yes I . . ." Nanaki froze.  
"What?" Cloud asked. Gunshots rang in Cloud's ear. Vincent dropped in from above. He shot the emergency stop button on the large freight elevator.  
"Been watching the whole time." Vincent said. "The bombs are remote detonated. That I know. Too bad you won't set them off. In fact, Sephiroth won't. He'd never do that."  
Can't believe he calls you that. Sephiroth said.  
Not now. Cloud replied. Cloud brandished his new Rune Blade, which he bought in Midgar.  
He made a swing towards Vincent but missed. Nanaki lunged at Vincent, but Vincent rolled out of the way.  
"Not again." Vincent said, pointing to the large scar on his face.  
Cloud made a few more attempts but missed every time.  
Stop! Sephiroth yelled in Cloud's mind. Freeze! At those words the world around Cloud froze in suspended animation. Cloud moved freely though. Sephiroth appeared.  
"What?" Cloud asked. "You can't harm me. You can't actually change the world. I bet this is your power's limit." Cloud said.  
"Correct, you are. Cloud, I told you the truth about Zack. Will you believe the truth I tell you now?" Sephiroth's spirit asked.  
"Perhaps." Cloud answered.  
"I have to take you back to a very painful place." Sephiroth said.  
Cloud was now going through wormholes. Just like the ones that led to Sephiroth's true form after his Safer defeat.  
And there he was, at the Forgotten Capital, about to cut Aeris in two with his Buster Sword. Now about here the group would tell him to . . .  
He didn't stop, but instead changed his angle of the sword. He brought it to a stabbing position and . . .   
No! No! No! No! He stabbed Aeris. Cloud Strife, failed clone of the evil Sephiroth, stabbed Aeris Gainsborough.  
Sephiroth, I won't believe it! I can't believe it!  
Sephiroth appeared. "It is the truth. As I said, I told the truth with the Zack incident. Now listen Cloud, I changed it, in your minds. I had to. If not you could of committed suicide, or a member of the group could've killed you. I needed you for my plans. Now lets move on."  
He was back into the wormholes.  
"Junon, Cloud, four years ago, on this day too, my day of death. Watch."  
Barret, holding Tifa, fell as the Junon cannon shot. Cloud ran to grab Barret's slipping hand but . . . he took out the Buster Sword. He made a giant swing and . . . chopped Barret's fingers off. Sending him and Tifa down into their watery grave.  
"I couldn't of done that? Why would I do that?" Cloud asked his enemy.  
"Vincent calls you Sephiroth. Remember Cloud, you giving me the Black Materia at the Temple of the Ancients? Cloud Strife, your like my son. You're a spawn of me. Therefore as they say, like father, like son. When you saw Barret and Tifa hanging there you had to make a choice: whether or not to save them. Being you Cloud, you conjured up every bit of angry feeling you had towards them. Same goes for when Aeris was kneeling there." Sephiroth explained.  
"I loved Aeris, Sephiroth."  
"Wrong Cloud, wrong choice of words. You love Aeris. You didn't love her then. But you do now. You hide it somewhat. Actually Cloud, loved may be the correct word. But it applies to about the time directly after my defeat. When there was nothing to worry about you fell in love with the memory of Aeris. But then the Galians attacked. No more room for love Strife, so you got rid of it. Now Cloud, search yourself. You know this is true."   
Cloud sat for a long while. A very long while in wherever he was. At least a month he sat, a month of silence, and thinking.  
"Your right Sephiroth. Take me back. Back to the true time." Cloud demanded.  
Sephiroth cleared his throat. "You've thought for an entire month. But back in the real world, time's been suspended. You'll join it where you last left off." Sephiroth raised his hands. Before they traveled again Cloud tossed the Rune Blade.  
And back through the wormholes.  
Cloud now brandished the Buster Sword. He stared at Vincent, long and hard.  
Vincent and Cloud walked towards each other. Soon their noses were separated by a millimeter of space.  
"You know." Cloud said.  
"He revealed it. In the final battle." Vincent said with astonishment in his voice.  
Cloud nodded downward. Vincent looked to see the Buster Sword through him. Cloud removed it and Vincent fell. Cloud looked at Nanaki. Somehow, unexplainably, Cloud transmitted the truth into Nanaki's mind. Cloud turned the Buster Sword around and made a quick thrust . . .  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE  
  
There is no doubt that this Final Fantasy VII fan fiction has baffled you, surprised you, and made you downright angry with me. Why kill off everyone but Nanaki, who has to survive? I guess your glad I explained the way Nanaki has children four hundred and ninety years later.  
I wrote such a story because I'm sick of happy stories where Aeris is revived and Cloud and the group go on and lead great adventures.  
NO! No more of that!  
I won't write a sequel. Nanaki isn't interesting enough to write a whole story about.  
As for Vincent being the baddie, why not? Look at this guy. He's the evilest one in the whole group. And on top of that he's destroying the world for a goal he can NEVER accomplish!  
So I hope you've enjoyed this story. As for the Junon cannon being restored, I bet they still had the tools to move it back or build a new one.  
Is Shinra gone now? Nanaki blew up the building but Wutai still remains. But hey, he's pretty resourceful so we'll just say he eventually gets rid of them.  
Oh, by the way, the Turks are gone, finished with. They annoyed me in the game. I really got sick of them fast. So they died in the onslaught of Meteor.  
And I know, Diamond WEAPON killed Rufus, not the Meteor. But you think Shinra's going to say that Diamond WEAPON could harm them?  
You can send QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS to Starcraft86@Yahoo.com. PLEASE NO HATE MAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
DARKEST TIME IS ©2000, STARCRAFT86@YAHOO.COM/CONRAD ROBERTS  



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